1. Field of the Invention
The field of the disclosure relates generally to creating and manipulating digital media, including a system for creating electronic sounds and visual art by a performance DJ.
2. Background Art
A performance disc jockey (DJ) is a collagist of sounds in a live performance setting, typically utilizing a plurality of electronic sound sources. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, a typical system 100 for creating and manipulating digital media, such as electronic sound and visual art, may include a first synthesizer 102 and a second synthesizer 104 interfaced to a mixing device 106. Each of the first synthesizer 102 and the second synthesizer 104 may have an on/standby switch 108a, 108b, a touchpad 110a, 110b serving as an input device to a synthesizer chipset, a program/value selector knob 112a, 112b and a corresponding program/value display 114a, 114b, various synthesizer function buttons 116a, 116b, and audio outputs 118a, 118b. An output of the mixing device 106 may be communicated to an input of a computer 120 running a sound manipulation software program. The sound manipulation software program may be for further manipulating highs, mid-ranges, lows, or gain of sound produced by the first synthesizer 102 and/or the second synthesizer 104, or combining the sound with samples or pieces of other recorded music. An output of the computer 120 may then be input to an audio system 122, such as a loudspeaker system of a club.
Additionally, some performance DJs or performance artists may utilize a stylus 123 and a graphics tablet 124 interfaced to a computer 126 running a drawing software program and output to a video display device 128, such as a projector, for producing live interpretive drawings during a performance.
However, as is readily apparent from FIG. 1, the first synthesizer 102, the second synthesizer 104, the mixer 106, the computer 120 running the sound manipulation software program, the stylus 123, the graphics tablet 124, and the computer 126 running the drawing software program not only require considerable coordination to set up and operate, but also requires considerable physical space.
Additionally, a performance DJ may also wish to have other electronic sound sources, such as a turntable or a drum machine, attached to the mixing device 106 via additional sound channels. The performance DJ (or DJs) may simply not have enough hands to simultaneously control all of the electronic sound sources, the computer 120 running the sound manipulation software program, and/or the stylus 123, graphics tablet 124, and computer 126 running the drawing software program.